Council supports road safety at work campaign

Foyle and District Road Safety Committee and the Road Safety Council of Northern Ireland, working in partnership with the district councils in the West, are organising a Driving for better business Breakfast Seminar on Thursday 27 June 2013 in the Belfray Country Inn.

Welcoming the initiative, the Mayor of Derry City Council, Cllr Martin Reilly said the partnership approach by the agencies working together was aimed at successfully highlighting the importance of managing work related road safety.

He commented: “The costs of road traffic collisions involving people driving at work are immense, not only in terms of the human suffering involved, but also in terms of the financial costs to businesses. This seminar will provide an excellent opportunity to highlight the risks of driving at work and will give employers practical information and advice on how to effectively manage those risks.”

At the breakfast seminar, which due to generous support from AA DriveTech and PSNI is free of charge, a variety of speakers will highlight the risks of “at work” road collisions, explain the legal responsibilities in this area and promote the importance of employers managing occupational road risk for both their full time drivers and staff who may drive occasionally for work.

Speaking in advance of the event, the keynote speaker, AA president Edmund King, said: “Driving for work involves risk. Indeed, the Driving for Better Business campaign estimates that one third of road crashes involves a vehicle being driven for work. Legally, all employers have a duty of care to all their staff whether they are business or professional drivers. This includes people who drive a company car, have a cash allowance or use their private car or hire car for work activities.

“Comprehensive risk management programmes not only help reduce the risk of death and injury while driving but can also reduce fuel consumption, damage costs, time off work, insurance premiums and the risk of being prosecuted under Corporate Manslaughter Legislation. Businesses should get on-board as these programmes can directly improve their bottom line and improve road safety for the employee and the community at large,” he said.

David Jackson, Chairman of the Foyle and District Road Safety Committee said: “We are delighted to be hosting this event in our city. We are working together in this venture with partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors. The aim is to highlight the need for organisations to have a complete health and safety regime for any employee who drives as part of their work. Under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007, in the event of a work related death attention will focus on the organisations senior management to see if they have put the correct procedures in place and that those procedures were robust enough, monitored and managed properly. This applies to all companies, businesses and organisation regardless of size.

“We would encourage all those who manage staff, who drive for work in company or privately owned vehicles, to attend the seminar for the sake of your staff and indeed all road users,” he added.

The seminar will commence with breakfast at 8.30am on Thursday, June 27, at the Belfray Country Inn, Glenshane Road. In addition to the speakers, there will be a number of exhibitors providing relevant information at the event, which will end at 12.15pm.

Anyone wishing to book a place at the event is asked to contact David Jackson, Foyle and District Road Safety Committee, on 07594964672 or e-mail [email protected].